Knock at the Cabin is the latest film by the director with one of the most wildly inconsistent track records: M. Night Shyamalan, who directed films like Sixth Sense and Unbreakable but also The Happening and After Earth. While this film certainly doesn’t reach the heights of Shyamalan’s first two films (or even some of the other good to decent films he’s made since), it also stands out above many of his other films.
The premise is a fairly simple, yet creative, idea: a family vacationing at a cabin in the woods is ambushed and taken prisoner by a group of four fanatics who tell them that the world is coming to an end and only by one of them sacrificing themselves willingly can the apocalypse be averted. And, while the premise is interesting, it’s not so interesting that this film should’ve be an instant classic. So, even though the movie’s just okay, it doesn’t feel like there’s this huge, untapped potential that it didn’t explore.
As one can probably guess, there are slow parts to this movie. There are times where it doesn’t feel like anything new is being explored or introduced. Thankfully, those moments don’t last long, but the film isn’t necessarily fast-paced, despite being just 99 minutes long.
Characters: 6.5/10 (x2)
None of the members of the main family really felt memorable to me; none of them were bad, but they just seemed like stock characters that I’m not going to remember in a few weeks. The four intruders are far more interesting. While not they fulfill the roles of the movie’s villains, the movie does a lot to make us empathize with them and that’s a big part of why the film is as interesting as it is.
Plot: 6/10 (x2)
I think the premise of the film is interesting, but I haven’t fully decided how I feel about the ending (though I can’t go into the details in a spoiler-free review). But, to avoid copping out, I did walk out with a little bit of a feeling of “that’s it?”
Action: 7/10
The few action sequences are shot mostly well (though there are a few goofy-looking moments, such as when Andrew is in the back-seat of the car) and there’s a lot of emotional intensity to the film’s dialogue scenes which really carries the movie. The best part of the action, though, is that the antagonists aren’t the invincible horror movie antagonists we’re used to. The family very nearly fights them off and escapes at the beginning of the film, and that somehow makes it feel more tense, as I wasn’t watching the film feeling like anyone had plot armor.
Tone: 7/10
Unlike most of Shyamalan’s films, I don’t have to question what the intended tone was (unlike say, the Happening, where no one’s sure if it’s a drama or a comedy) and the personal touches to the intruders’ backstories and interactions with the family were always handled well, adding just the right amount of emotional stakes and keeping things serious.
Pacing: 6/10
The great thing about the pacing is that the home invasion occurs within the first five minutes. The downside is the aforementioned slow moments that do bog the film down. And, while the flashbacks do add backstory to the family, they don’t always come at the best times and do break up the flow of the main plot at times.
Dialogue: 7/10
Dialogue is one of the things Shyamalan’s movies are the worst at. People in them talk like robots, reciting pretentious lines for the sake of beating you over the head with the film’s theme or setting up the twist. Here, though, all but a few of the lines seem real. Again, the dialogue where the intruders are appealing to the family works really, really well and made me empathize for them way more than I thought I would.
Creativity: 7/10
Like I said before, this movie’s premise is unique and intriguing. And, while I don’t think it’s the best premise Shyamalan’s ever come up with, I can’t say I’ve ever seen a movie do this plot before (well… mostly).
Visuals/Design: 7/10
The few glimpses we get of the destruction caused by the supposed apocalypse are pretty great, harkening back to the films from the early to mid-2000’s, which were filled with vivid disaster imagery. Also, the movie’s shot well, maximizing the intensity in some of the tense dialogue scenes.
Final Score: 66/100
To those of you who dislike Shyamalan, I understand that, but this movie avoids most of the pitfalls of his lesser films. Like most movies so far this year, it’s not anything you have to rush to see in theatres, but it’s definitely worth checking out at some point. And, while the disaster imagery isn’t that prevalent (and mostly shown on televisions in the film), seeing it on the big screen does enhance the effect.
Final Recommendation: Watch
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